Wood County official cautions residents about 'misleading' deed letters

A Wood County official, once again, is warning residents about what she calls a misleading letter that could cause unsuspecting property owners to spend money for something they don't need.

Some residents recently received letters in the mail telling them they needed certified copies of their property deed and that Record Transfer Services, a Wilmington, Del.-based company, will provide the documents for a cost of as much as $83, Register of Deeds Susan Ginter said.

"I just want to caution people that if they receive something like this to contact our office," Ginter said. "I just don't want people to be misled."

Although the service itself might be legitimate, many residents likely do not need certified copies of their deeds unless it is for tax purposes or they are involved in selling their property, Ginter said. Even then, residents can get copies from the Register of Deeds office for $2 for the first page and $1 for each additional page. The certification fee is $1 for each document.

For more information on how to obtain a copy of property deeds, call the Wood County Register of Deeds office at 715-421-8450 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.